In the village of Aroso, Migori County, young Tony Kisasati has managed to turn life’s adversities into opportunities. At his farm, an uncountable number of chickens cluck within the compound.

The 28-year-old graduate attended the Kabete National Polytechnic, studying for a diploma in Quantity Surveying. After graduating in 2019, he was optimistic of a bright career in construction.

He got his first paying job at the British American Tobacco Company in the Warehousing Management Department. This employment stint helped cater to his family.

However, in a moment of unclear circumstances at work, Tony Kisasati ended up being unemployed. This was a heavy blow to the breadwinner’s face as he had no other means to support his family.

With no job and high living costs, he had to think fast to support his family. The situation called for Tony’s creativity to find new ways to make ends meet.

In an interview at his home in Aroso, Tony shared what inspired him to start the chicken farming business.

After trying out different income-generating activities, Tony Kisasati settled on chicken farming. He noticed a strong demand for chickens in Migori, which influenced his decision.

“I chose chicken farming because it required little capital. With just Sh. 3,000, I could start something that would help me provide for my family,” Tony explained

He started his farm with 10 Kenbro breed chicks bought at Sh. 100 each from a local farmer using Sh. 3,000 from his little savings. The remaining Sh. 2000 was set aside to construct a well-ventilated coop.

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At first, he wanted to focus on rearing broiler chickens due to their fast maturity, in three to four months, compared to layers, which take longer to mature and start producing eggs.

He focused on the meat aspect of chicken farming since he hadn’t set up a hatchery for egg-to-chick production. This approach was less stressful for him since he could simply sell the chickens for profit and reinvest in more chicks later on.

Two years into his business, he achieved success by selling 50 chickens for Sh. 54600 to a local customer in Migori, with cocks fetching Sh. 800 and hens selling for Sh. 1200 each.

In addition, he is also a crop farmer with the profits enabling him to rent out three acres of land for his farming practices.